Spirit's End

by A. R. Knight

  I wanted to hold her. To stay with Selena and never, ever leave. But as Selena burned, I had to turn. Had to keep swinging the sword and fight with my fellow guides.

  Some fell, other stood strong. Bryce lanced with his voulge over and over again. Alec used his gauntlets to devastating effect. Other guides use their knives, their swords, their axes. By the end of it, eight of us were left standing amid a hoard of vacant spirits.

  Nara, it seemed, had taken her own lesson. Resolved to keep any new souls for later. She gave us a moment to breathe.

  Anna looked gray. Pale and lost. Her eyes caught mine as I stepped over to her, back leaning against the tree, her flail on the ground, her hands clasped over the wound in her side where Selena’s knife had cut deep.

  “You have to release me,” I said, looking at the wound. “Cut the bind. Take your strength back.”

  “But we need you to finish this.”

  “I need you to live,” I said. “We’re so close to the Cycle now, so close to Nara. I’ll be able to fend it off for a little while.”

  Anna stared at me. Then shook her head. “I won’t. I won’t take that chance.”

  “Then promise me,” I said. “Promise me that if you have to, you’ll cut me loose.”

  “Only if I must.”

  Bryce and Alec were there a moment later. Alec moved Anna’s arms away, started binding the wound. Tearing treads off of his own coat and wrapping the stab. “It’s a long way back, Anna, so we better get moving.”

  “You can’t abandon them here,” Anna replied, shaking her head.

  “The way’s clear,” I said. “Nara doesn’t have the forces left. I can take it.”

  “No,” Bryce said. “You’ll need help.”

  My mentor turned and went over to Selena, just standing up, lost to this world. He put his hand on her shoulder, and started talking to her. Establishing the familiarity, the relationship to form a bond. And in a minute, Selena, my Selena, looked at me.

  “Carver?” Selena said. “Are we free?”

  “Not yet.”

  Minutes later, the entire group sorted itself into two sections. Bryce and the other guides in one. Selena, Nicholas and I and the other, along with the cart holding the bomb.

  “Take Anna back,” I said, my eyes drifted over to her again. Sweating and pale, Anna’s own eyes were closed. “Go as fast as you can. We’ll take care of this.”

  “I’ll let her know when we’re clear through our bond.” Bryce nodded at Selena. “So you can detonate.”

  As good a plan as any. As spirits roamed by us, my friends began the long trudge back to the city. Back to where they could cross over. On the way, they’d doubtless have to fight other spirits, pouring through breaches and in scattered angry waves prowling Riven in ever greater numbers. They would make it. They would survive.

  It wouldn’t matter if we failed.

  Chapter 60

  Surrounded by the walking spirits, the three of us, with Nicholas pulling the device on its cart behind him, entered the Mountain. Spirits filled the tunnel, all moving down towards the Cycle. On either side, branches broke off, empty and unexplored. I remembered them from when we were here last.

  “It’s sort of fitting,” I said. “The end of the guides will be the place where they first began.”

  “Where they began?” Nicholas asked.

  “Mali created the Mountain to house the Cycle. It was here, Dolan said, that he first found how to make the weapons that burned. Here where the guides stayed when they first were building up to fight Nara.”

  I wasn’t sure what else to say. There’s something about actually confronting history that leaves you at a loss. Myth and legend becoming real and tracing a direct line to you. All of those events, those mistakes and those successes leading to the three of us trying, in one last attempt, to erase all of it.

  We made it to the cavern where Piotr had crossed over. Where those months ago I had lost my parents. We had scored our first real victory, and had our first real loss.

  It would’ve been nice to have Graham and Katherine beside me. Graham’s cocky optimism, his big hammer would have suffused us with confidence. Katherine’s kindness, her knack for knowing the best way forward... but they weren’t here. We were on our own.

  To the left, stairs continued down, descending deeper into the cave. At the bottom of those steps would be the gray blue ocean of the Cycle. At the bottom of the steps, I had no doubt, would be Nara.

  “I’ll lead,” I said, with the great sword out in front. “Selena, you take the back. Stay between anything and Nicholas. And you, genius, you get that bomb to the cliff and get it going.”

  “Don’t we need to wait for Bryce and the others?” Selena said.

  “We wait if we have time,” I said. “I want them to live, but we can’t risk it. If we have no choice, Nicholas, you blow this thing.”

  The scientist nodded. I didn’t notice any moral qualms flashing through his eyes. Any concern that he wouldn’t be able to follow through. Nicholas knew the objective. He would do what he had to do.

  We took the last set of steps, past the cave leading up to Piotr’s overlook, slowly. At the bottom the steps opened into a wide chamber dominated by the Cycle. Its blue light flashed through everything, covering our faces, our coats our minds in teal. Ahead of us a parade of spirits shuffled off the precipice into the endless sea. One after another, like animals. Or machines.

  “I’ve never seen it,” Nicholas said. “It’s beautiful.”

  “Just don’t get too close.” I shifted the great sword, looked around. Where was Nara?

  Nicholas move the cart into the chamber. Pushed it near the cliff’s edge. Spirits ran by him, by all of us.

  “You came back to me,” Nara’s voice echoed down the steps. She was above us. Back the way we come.

  “Where are you?” I shouted. Ushered Selena by me, and pointed her over to Nicholas. We had to keep him safe.

  “Why does it matter?” Nara said. “It won’t change what is going to happen.”

  “What do you think that is?” I said. Part of me wanted to keep her talking, though I didn’t think we could keep up the back and forth for an entire day. Or longer, depending on Bryce and the others. Nara would come out sooner or later. We would be ready.

  “You’re going to lose,” Nara said. “You won’t even see it coming.”

  I positioned myself in front of the steps. Glanced back at Nicholas and Selena. They seemed okay.

  I felt hands grab my mouth, my throat, pull me back and pin my arms to my sides. Shouts came from my friends, and spirits that I’d swore were walking to the Cycle a second ago pulled them away from the device. Away from the Cycle. Against the cave walls.

  Spirits held each of us, resolutely obeying their leader’s command. Nara, who walked down the steps and into the chamber. Walk towards the bomb and stared at it.

  Two other spirits, both soldiers, followed her. Personal bodyguards.

  “What are you trying to do with this?” Nara said, and she looked back at us. “What is it? Some sort of weapon?”

  I realized, hopefully as Nicholas did, that Nara may have never seen a bomb before. May not have any idea what such a thing could do. After all, explosives had no place in Riven. Perhaps the idea of detonating the Mountain would never even occur to her. Wouldn’t even be a possibility.

  “It’s mine,” Nicholas said. “I’m trying to find out more about the Cycle.”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Nara said. “The Cycle won’t matter soon. We’ll all be going back home.”

  Nara walked across the chamber, through the spirits, and up to Nicholas. Reached her hand for his face.

  I saw Nicholas move his shoulders. Saw them shift, and then I recognized the coat he was wearing. The lines crossing it. I’d had a coat like that once, until spirits had torn it away. As Nara reached for it, the coat burst into blue wrangling flames. They covered the spirit holding onto him. Nara jerked her hand back in surprise.

>   I felt the twinge. The spirit holding me tight wavered as Nara lost her own binding. Her own focus on the spirits falling away in her fear. I took advantage. Pressed my feet to the ground and shoved the spirit back into the wall behind me. Broke it against the stone.

  The spirit’s hands fell away and I stepped free, the great sword in my right hand. Ready to end Nara’s madness.

  I reversed the sword and stabbed behind me. Felt it bite into the stunned spirit. Burned it. Nara ran away from Nicholas, back up the cave’s stairs. Coward.

  “Carver!” Selena yelled, and I saw her spirit dragging Selena up the stairs. Up and away from the Cycle.

  I moved to follow when Nara’s two bodyguards cut me off. They were tall, hulking creatures. But they held no weapons.

  So when they dove at me, I used the sword. A right swing, then a whirl to the left. Two cuts, two burning spirits. The way was clear.

  Nara needed better guards.

  Nicholas darted over to the device, the glanced at me. I could go after Selena. Or I could stay, keep Nicholas safe.

  “Go,” Nicholas said. “That’s not my last surprise.” He opened his jacket to reveal a number of blue bolts on the inside, leftovers for my crossbow. “I’ll be fine.”

  “You’d better be,” I said. “Yell if something changes.”

  I ran up the stairs, chasing after Selena. Chasing after Nara. Trying to survive.

  Chapter 61

  I went up the stairs and paused as I passed the pathway to the overlook. There were two places they could go. I didn’t know which. I could still hear Selena shouts, but they echoed through the cave, bouncing off the walls and making it hard to tell where they were coming from.

  Everywhere, really.

  I was about to cry out, to ask which way, when pain flowed through me. It wasn’t mine, though, it was Anna’s. Coming through our bond. It went away almost as soon as it came through, but our tie continued to weaken. I could feel it, feel her life slipping away. If she died, our bond would be gone.

  I shook my head. I couldn’t do anything for her now. Had to find Selena, had to keep Nicholas safe.

  “The overlook!” I heard Selena’s cry, and went that way. She’d realized, perhaps, that giving directions was a better use than anguished yelling.

  There weren’t spirits wandering Piotr’s path, so my progress was fast. I leapt up the steps. Pushed off the walls and kept the great sword ahead of me, held steady. Burst onto the overlook.

  The forest expanded below, falling away from the Mountain. I could see, almost like city lights, the glow of dozens of breaches. Riven was being overwhelmed, and it was happening faster. Some breaches looked like they were connecting, large pools of yellow swallowing up trees whole. Somewhere down there, Bryce and the others were running for their lives.

  At the edge of the overlook, Selena fought for hers. The spirit had her, a scrawny but strong soldier that had lifted Selena’s feet off the ground. Was moving her towards the edge, getting ready to drop her off.

  I couldn’t make it there in time. Selena was going to fall.

  I lifted the great sword over my head, in both hands, and threw it forward. Let go as my hands started down.

  The sword flew through the air, whirling end over end. It struck the spirit. Embedded itself into its back. Burst into flame. Then the spirit fell over the cliff.

  And Selena went with it.

  I ran towards them. Where they had been. Dove and slid across the rock, reached with my hand to see if there was anything to grab. Felt nothing.

  “You’ll have to reach farther,” Selena’s voice sent a jolt through me. I peered over the edge; she hung a few feet down, her cleaver and long knife biting into the rock, giving her enough of a handhold. I scrabbled further, leaned down, and gripped onto the rock with my left hand. Reached out with my right. Selena glanced at it, glanced at the cleaver and the long knife.

  “Leave it,” I said. “It’s not worth dying for.”

  “You keep forgetting Carver, we’re already dead.” Selena let go with her left hand, and the cleaver fell out of the mountain and tumbled into oblivion. She leaned on the knife, and reached up and grabbed my hand.

  As I pulled Selena up, the knife fell free. Selena kept her right hand wrapped around its hilt. Not willing to give up that last weapon. I rolled over, used the leverage of my back to pull Selena up and onto the overlook. She rolled across me, and we both laid still for a moment.

  “How many times do I have to save your life?” I said to her.

  “I could ask you the same question.”

  And then I remembered Nicholas. Alone down there by the Cycle. With Nara roaming the caves.

  Chapter 62

  Selena and I sprinted down the stairs. Back through the hidden passage and down towards the cavern and the Cycle. Every second we weren’t by his side, Nara could find a way to tear the scientist apart. Destroy the device.

  Selena and I burst into the chamber, shoving spirits aside, and saw the device still intact on the cliff. Nicholas stood in front of two smoldering spirits, watching to make sure they didn’t rise up again. Behind him, stepping out of a cluster of spirits marching to the Cycle, Nara walked towards his back.

  Nicholas looked up, saw us held up a hand. Didn’t see Nara approaching.

  I shouted his name. “Behind you!”

  The scientist, thin lanky eyes shining with adrenaline, turned in time for Nara to grab him by the face. Her bony fingers wrapped around his cheeks and I saw the life drain out of them. The independence, freedom, gone.

  She bound him.

  I ran towards them. I could hear Selena doing the same. Despite the fact that we only had Selena’s knife, I was determined to try something, anything.

  Nicholas turned back to me, between Nara and I. Held up his hand, gave me a single wave. “Goodbye, Carver.”

  The scientist turned and jumped off into the Cycle.

  We all watched Nicholas vanish into the blue. Then the old spirit, the one who was supposed to help us save Riven and who had scattered those dreams to ashes, spoke. “He was the greatest risk remaining,” Nara said. “An unknown. I do not know what that thing is, but there must be a reason you brought him here. There must be a reason you were trying to save him.”

  “It doesn’t matter now.” I didn’t know what to think. To feel. With Nicholas gone, I didn’t know who could trigger the device, if anybody. I didn’t know what the plan was. I just never thought we’d fail. I never saw it coming. We had the advantage, we had the equipment. But here I was, unarmed, at the end of the world.

  “What’s next?” Nara said, and she looked at Selena. “Do you stab me? Burn me and throw me into the Cycle? Even though it will do you no good?”

  “Maybe not, but it’ll feel great,” Selena said. She took a step towards Nara, and then the old spirit lunged towards me. I had no hands, no weapons to strike her, so I did what I could and met her grasping hand with a tackle. Pushed her back, along the Cycle’s edge. We danced, me trying to keep her hands from grasping mine, from touching my face, my throat, my wrists, anywhere that could allow her to connect to what was left of my soul.

  “You are such a disappointment,” Nara snarled as we wrestled. She was stronger than I expected. But again, appearances could be deceiving in Riven. Muscle and bone didn’t matter once you were dead. The only thing that did was your determination. Your skill.

  Nara had learned a lot in her centuries.

  She twisted her leg and caught my calf, threw me to the floor. Reached down towards my face. I kicked up with my foot and struck her in the stomach. Drove her back.

  “Can’t you see that Earth doesn’t deserve to die so you can live?” I shouted at her.

  “I happen to think it does.” Nara rushed at me again. I could see Selena behind her, angling for the right spot to stick Nara with the knife. That was my hope, that was my plan.

  But Nara knew that as well as I did. She kept twisting us, rotating our grapples to get Selena out of pos
ition.

  I had to try something different.

  So when Nara charged again, I let her wrap her fingers around my throat. Felt her start to tear my soul. Felt Nara’s whispers pour into my mind. And then I felt them vanish. Pushed away by Selena’s burning blue knife.

  Nara took a step back for me, surprise showing on her face. She couldn’t possibly imagine such a thing. As though the concept of defeat had never never crossed her mind.

  “Stabbed in the back,” Selena said. “Should be familiar to you.” Nara took one step, her mouth worked, and then she collapsed into the flames. They dwindled around her body on the ground. I didn’t let her stand up. I pushed her over the edge.

  As Nara disappeared into the deep blue of the Cycle, I realized that all three of the spirits that had build Riven were gone. Fitting, then, that their creation go with them.

  I gave Selena a smile, and started to move to the device, when my world exploded.

  Pain lanced through me again, coming out of nowhere and everywhere. Through the bond I shared with Anna. It was wild, uncontrollable, and I knew there was only one way to stop it.

  “Let me go,” I said the words aloud, but sent them through our bond. Sent them to Anna across the distance between us. If she was going to get back alive, she needed all her strength. She needed the part of her that she had given to me. I needed her to take it back.

  Confusion, relief, flowed through our bond. Anna was hesitating. So I urged her again. Begged her. Tried to be confident, to let her know that this was my decision. That I would be okay. Despite the fact that I knew none of those things.

  Selena knelt next to me, her face a mask of worry, when she asked what was going on I could barely form the words tell her.

  Then I felt it. The strange rush of my body putting itself back together. Of Anna leaving me, and cutting me off. I knew that she would be feeling a similar feeling. Strength returning to her limbs. Like waking up after a long nap, or a good meal. I hoped it would be enough.